Protesters Say Feds' Fight Shows Need For Misconduct Probe

By Lauraann Wood

The U.S. government's opposition to a special investigation of prosecutorial misconduct that "poisoned" a now-dismissed criminal conspiracy case suggests Chicago prosecutors are still shielding critical details regarding the extent of official communications preceding the prosecution, underscoring the probe's necessity, protesters argued Tuesday.

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Parties Clash Over Scope Of GIPA In DNA Test-Taker's Suit

By Celeste Bott

An Illinois federal judge is weighing whether the state's genetic privacy law protects against disclosing information about people who have taken genetic tests, with a DNA testing company accused of unlawfully sharing such information with Google arguing Wednesday the statute applies only to disclosure of actual test results.

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Zillow Must Arbitrate MLS Claims, Compass Claims Paused

By Matthew Perlman

An Illinois federal court has refused Zillow's request for an injunction in its case accusing a Chicago-area multiple listing service of working with Compass to block access to home listings and sent the claims against the MLS to arbitration.

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1st Circ. Hints Trump Admin Sought To Skirt Review Of Cuts

By Julie Manganis

The First Circuit on Wednesday repeatedly suggested that the Trump administration had sought to evade court review by intentionally failing to issue written guidance before it began shuttering federal programs targeted by the president in an executive order last year.

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Cyber Insurer Can't Avoid Auto Shop's $4.9M Coverage Suit

By Hope Patti

An Illinois state court refused to toss an auto repair company's suit seeking to recover $4.9 million in coverage from its cyber insurer for a ransomware attack, saying the policy doesn't establish that the insurer owes nothing for the loss.

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States Say DOJ's RealPage Deal Doesn't Affect Their Claims

By Isaac Monterose

A group of states told a North Carolina federal court to reject property management software company RealPage Inc.'s argument that its rent price-fixing settlement with the federal government moots the states' antitrust claims.

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Conn. Judge Trims Claims In 3M Firefighter PFAS Suit

By Katherine Smith

A Connecticut federal judge has dismissed some "forever chemicals" allegations lodged against 3M Co. by state firefighter unions and firefighters in a Minnesota multidistrict litigation concerning municipalities that purchased firefighting turnout gear, ruling that the unions lack associational standing over certain claims in the case.

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Illinois Domestic Violence Law Expands Employer Obligations

With a new Illinois law expanding domestic violence protections by redefining harassment for the digital age and making protective orders more accessible, employers should review their policies and training programs as they will likely encounter more orders and a wider range of workplace restrictions, say attorneys at Nixon Peabody.

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1 Year And $1B Later, Trade Fraud Remains Key Priority

The Trade Fraud Task Force's success obtaining major settlements in its first year, along with the Justice Department signaling long-term commitment to customs enforcement, shows that importers should plan to make global supply chain oversight a board-level priority for years to come, says Kimberly Paschall at Riley Safer.

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4 Words In A 1980 Law Could Redraw Bank Lending

The Tenth Circuit's interpretation of a single phrase in the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act could reshape interstate bank lending, requiring banks and fintechs to document loan-making functions, monitor repayment triggers, and reassess true lender and contractual risks, say attorneys at Sheppard.

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Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Cultivating Good Judgment

Law schools generally overlook the role that solid judgment skills play in real-world practice, but attorneys can bridge the gap by strengthening their abilities to assess a case’s strengths and weaknesses, develop and execute effective strategies, and provide clear recommendations to clients, says Manny Caixeiro at Venable.

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Senate Confirms Kirkland Partner To Texas Federal Bench

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate voted 49-45 on Thursday to confirm Kasdin Miller Mitchell, a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, to serve as a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Texas.

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Analysis

Sue To Stop AI Armageddon? Not So Fast, Attys Say

By Y. Peter Kang

As executives at leading artificial intelligence companies increasingly assert that their own technology could one day pose an existential threat to humanity, a natural question follows: If the risk is real, can anyone sue to stop it before disaster strikes?

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Clancy Atty Denies Malpractice Claim By Man Serving Life

By Julie Manganis

A prominent Massachusetts criminal defense attorney best known for representing Lindsay Clancy has been accused in a separate case of "abandoning" a client who is serving life sentences for second-degree murder and home invasion, allegations the lawyer denies.

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AI Flubs, More Secure PACER Get Judiciary Forum Spotlight

By Jeff Overley

Misuse of artificial intelligence tools and a "state-of-the-art" revamp of electronic dockets in federal cases were among the hottest topics Thursday at a major meeting of judiciary leaders, who also heard a lawmaker warn of eroding trust in the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Analysis

For Single-Party FTC, Easier Suits May Come With A Cost

By Bryan Koenig

The Federal Trade Commission has ditched its historical multimember, multiparty ethos for a one-party regime in which fewer dissents might make it easier for Chairman Andrew Ferguson to pursue his agenda, but it also forecloses the potential "moderating influence" that comes with winning broad buy-in from commissioners of two parties.

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Immigration Attorney Wants SEC Sanctioned In EB-5 Case

By Tom Lotshaw

An immigration attorney and her firm asked a New York federal judge to sanction the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to reasonably investigate an allegedly bogus unregistered securities claim it brought against them in an EB-5 immigrant investor case.

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Weaponization Fund Plaintiffs Say Discovery Ruling Was Right

By Jared Foretek

Plaintiffs suing over the Trump administration's once-proposed "anti-weaponization fund" are telling a Virginia federal judge to reject the U.S. Department of Justice's objections to a magistrate judge's discovery order, accusing the administration of stonewalling their requests and urging prompt discovery production.

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